


Danger

by merentha13



Series: Desire [3]
Category: The Professionals
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-27
Updated: 2014-07-27
Packaged: 2018-02-10 14:17:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2028192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merentha13/pseuds/merentha13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Written for the Tea & Swiss Roll Weekly Obbo: Picture Prompt</p></blockquote>





	Danger

 

The explosion took everyone by surprise. Stained glass from the blown out windows shredded everything in its path: tree leaves, clothes and skin. A shout from the back of the church had Doyle up and running, ignoring the blood running in his eyes from the gash on his forehead. Rounding the corner of the damaged building, Doyle saw the terrorists making their way across the church’s playground, hostages mixed amongst them in an attempt to shield their retreat. Murphy and Bodie, poised on the roof of the neighbouring school with sniper rifles, made a shambles of that plan; but not before McCarthy’s gang inflicted their own damages.

Two children critically injured by the grenade blast. One teacher killed by the villains. Two of the thugs dead at CI5’s hands. Two more in CI5 custody. The sounds of gunshots, the screams of terror, and the cries of the children that had filled the air were replaced by men shouting orders and the shrill wailing of police and ambulance sirens.

Ray Doyle heard none of it. He stared blankly at the starkly vacant and silent swing set, now no more than rusted chains and broken dreams. Innocence lost. It shouldn’t be. He recalled his own joy on the rare occasions his Mum took him to the playground; flying through the air on a swing, as high and fast as his pumping legs could lift him, laughing at the thrill of fear that coiled through his belly as he jumped free of the swing, no longer shackled to the earth, ignoring the possible consequences. He could feel again the wind whipping through his hair and drying the sweat on his face as he yelled, ‘Watch me, Mum!’ The man he had become longed to touch again that child’s simple naivety, the sweet childhood freedom of fearing nothing and trusting that everything was going to be all right. That’s how it should’ve been for these children.

A cool breeze rattled the empty swings’ chains, pulling him back to the present. He watched the swings’ dark shadows creep back and forth across the bitumen. Anger blazed through him and he swore and kicked the slowly twisting swing hanging forlornly by one tether.

“We should have stopped this,” he snapped at the man silently approaching the swing set.

“Not our fault, mate.” A hand clasped Doyle’s shoulder.

Doyle shrugged it off. He turned to face his partner. “We ‘ad ‘em cornered – trapped in the church. We let them get away.” He swung his arms wide, attempting to encompass the whole playground. “We let them do this!”

“They tossed a grenade at us, Ray.” Anger rose in Bodie’s voice to match that of the tense man in front of him.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Doyle shrugged his shoulders and looked up at the sky. “Are we finished here? Can we go home?”

 

Bodie watched Doyle pace back and forth across the floor of the lounge picking up and discarding books and bric-a-brac as he moved, wondering again if it had been a good idea to invite Doyle to his. When Doyle smashed one tightly clenched fist into the other for the tenth time, Bodie rolled his eyes and said, “Go to bed, Ray.”

Doyle stopped pacing and turned a confused look at his partner. “Eh?”

“It’s late. Your car’s at HQ and I’m too tired to drive you home. Go to bed.”

Doyle gave him a brief nod and padded down the hall. Bodie relaxed when he heard the toilet flush and shower start up. Once he was sure Ray was settled in bed, he took care of his own nightly ablutions and crawled under the duvet. Unsurprised, he felt the mattress shaking, the body next to him vibrating with tension.

“C’mere,” he whispered softly, pulling the troubled man in close.

Doyle stiffened for a moment and then moved into the offered shelter.

“Let it go, Ray,” Bodie soothed.

“How do I do that, Bodie,” Doyle demanded his voice harsh with grief. “How do I forget those kids, that teacher, my own ineptness?”

“You’re not going to make this easy are you, sunshine?”

“It shouldn’t be easy, Bodie! Can’t turn off my emotions in the blink of an eye and go on like nothings ‘appened. People died. I’m not a cold ex-mercenary like you.”

The carelessly tossed words stung. “You can be a right bastard when you’re hurting, Doyle.” 

“Pot calling the kettle, mate.”

“I’ll leave you to it, then. Wallow all you like. Won’t do anyone any good.” Bodie rolled over, turning his back to Doyle. “Try thinking about the people we’ve saved by putting McCarthy where he belongs.” 

Doyle read the hurt in Bodie’s rigid back and shoulders. He exhaled noisily. “You’re right, of course. I’m sorry for the merc crack. You know I didn’t mean it. Lettin’ me temper get the best of me.” He waved his hands in consternation. “I just don’t understand how you deal with all this.” 

“You think too much, Ray.” Bodie rolled back to face his bed-mate. “And then you think some more.”

“Help me forget, Bodie.”

Bodie’s hand moved slowly up and down Doyle’s back, offering what comfort he could. “I know what you need.”

“You do, do you?” Doyle moved in closer.

“Oh yeah. Uncle Bodie knows.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“I don’t want a mercy fuck.” There was no amusement in Doyle’s voice.

“It wouldn’t be that,” Bodie gently ran a finger along the line of Doyle’s jaw. 

Doyle looked into Bodie’s eyes, doubt clear on his face remembering Bodie’s rejection from days before.

“What made you change your mind? Didn’t seem too pleased with the idea-”

“Told you I needed time. I realised we are - well – tied together.” He rested his forehead against Doyle's, careful of the plaster covering the reminder of the day. “This seems the next step.”

“I’m not lookin’ for a one-off, either. I won’t be a convenience.”

Bodie chuckled. “There’s never been anything even remotely convenient about you, Doyle.” His fingers played with the soft curls surrounding one nipple. 

Doyle continued to study him. “It won’t be easy.”

Exasperated, Bodie pinned him down on the bed. “Do you want me or not?”

Doyle nodded once. “You know I do. I just -”

Bodie put a finger on Doyle’s lips. “It’ll all work out.” He winked. “Trust me.”

“Yeah, it will.” An amused smile lit Doyle’s eyes. “And I do.”

“Chains…They bind us, whether we want them to or not. 

But a heart without chains would have nothing to hold it, 

might simply blow away.” 

― Bruce Coville, Into the Land of the Unicorns

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Tea & Swiss Roll Weekly Obbo: Picture Prompt


End file.
